Colonel Delos E. Lyon

One man, however, seems to have been such a colorful figure on the
scene that we do need to mention him. Col. Delos E. Lyon studied law in
Judge Spring's office in Franklinville and was admitted to the bar in
1859. A few months afterward he went to Dubuque, Iowa where he built up
a large and remunerative practice.

The Chronicle, Friday, February 23, 1900

"Hon. Delos E. Lyon of Dubuque, Iowa stopped in town over Sunday on
his way home from Washington where he had business before the U. S.
Supreme Court. A lawyer in high standing in his home city, Mr. Lyon has
extensive business interests and once or twice a year comes east. He
nearly always manages to stop off at Franklinville and spend a day or
two among the local scenes, and with the friends of his early life, for
it was here that he was born and reared. He went west in 1859. In 1857
he sold to the present owner N. F. Weed and his father William F. Weed
what is now the N. F. Weed & Co. store. The new West offered many
inducements in 1859 and he decided to look it over with a view to
locating for the practice of law.

He went to Denver, Colorado at the suggestion of a friend. It was
full of lawyers and doctors. After visiting many of the then important
places in the West, he found no promising field and concluded as a sight
seeing trip to take the overland stage to Pike's Peak and then return to
New York State. On the way back he stopped at Dubuque, then an
unimportant place, but promising. After looking around he became
satisfied that it would be a good opening and located there, since which
time he has gained for himself a wide reputation as a barrister and
amassed a considerable fortune.

Mr. Lyon is a very striking man. His wavy gray hair and short
stubby mustache, his sharp piercing eye and his pleasant good humored
face make him stand out as the prominent fixture in any crowd, and when
he speaks interest at once centers in his personality. On the street he
wears a mink overcoat that at once attracts attention."